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Earlier today Prescott City Council reviewed results of the 2023 Community Wide Survey conducted by national polling firm Polco. Polco representatives gave an overview of their 120-page report, with three key findings to City Council at a study session on Tuesday, January 23.  The findings are that residents value the natural environment, Prescott residents feel safe and indicate support for additional investment in public safety, and some aspects of mobility could present opportunities for the city.

Here are the three key findings and a brief description from the report:

1. The city’s natural environment is valued by residents. According to the report,  About 9 in 10 survey respondents identified the natural environment as an essential or very important area of focus for the community in the next two years, placing it among residents’ top priorities for Prescott. In addition to being immensely important, all evaluations of the quality of the city’s natural environment were above or similar to the national average. With a rating of 91% excellent or good, the overall quality of natural environment in Prescott ranked higher than the national benchmarks.
2. Prescott residents feel safe and indicate support for additional investment in public safety. Nearly all survey respondents indicated that they felt very or somewhat safe in both their neighborhood (96% very or somewhat safe) and Prescott’s downtown/commercial area during the day (94%). About 9 in 10 survey participants favorably rated their feeling of safety from property crime, higher than the national benchmarks. A similar percentage reportedly felt safe from violent crime, but this score was on par with comparison communities. Resident perception of safety from fire, flood, or other natural disaster also met the national average, with about three-quarters of evaluations being positive.
3. Some aspects of mobility could present opportunities for growth for the City. The facet of mobility measures the ease with which residents can move around their communities for leisure or business and is a key driver of resident satisfaction. Scores provided by Prescott residents largely place the city on par with comparison communities, but below-average marks for some aspects of mobility may suggest an opportunity for additional focus on alternative forms of transportation such as bicycling and public transit.

In October 2023, 3,000 citizens were randomly selected to receive a mailed survey.  Then, on November 6 an online version of the same survey was made available to the general public for response.

Developed over 20 years ago and continually refined, the NCS is a survey of resident opinion that provides robust benchmark comparisons among communities across the nation. It has been used in more than 350 jurisdictions across 46 states. Communities using The NCS have reported that the tool improved service delivery, strengthened communications with community stakeholders, and helped leaders identify clear priorities for use in strategic planning and budget setting. It is the only resident survey endorsed by the International City/County Management Association and the National League of Cities.

The complete report and other information about the survey can be found on the City’s website Prescott-az.gov or simply go to ParticipatePrescott.com.